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Watch out if someone sends a flood of text messages to your Nexus phone -- they may be trying to break in or otherwise cause havoc. IT administrator Bogdan Alecu has discovered an Android bug that triggers exploitable behavior in the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 4 and Nexus 5 whenever they're hit by a large volume of Class 0 SMS messages, or texts that aren't automatically stored on the phone. The denial of service attack usually forces the handset to reboot, but it can also disable the network connection (if temporarily) or crash the messaging app. Non-Nexus hardware appears to be safe, although Alecu notes that he hasn't had a chance to test a wide variety of gadgets. Regardless of the problem's scale, affected users will have to be cautious for a while; Google tellsPCWorld that it's looking into the exploit, but there's no word on just when we can expect a patch.

Update: There's already a firewall app in Google Play that protects against the exploit. Thanks, Chipsy4!

From the horse's mouth, we're hearing some unfortunate news: Google has taken to its Spanish support pages to announce that the Samsung Galaxy Nexus is not on the list of devices to receive Android 4.4 KitKat. This seems a bit odd, given the new update's focus on "the next billion" and offering solid performance to other budget devices, but at the moment things aren't looking up for owners of the phone -- or any older Nexus devices, for that matter. We've reached out to Google for clarification on this and will update you if and when we hear back.

Update: There's still no official word on why this is the case, but sources close to the company have pointed the finger at a different hardware issue on the Galaxy Nexus: its Texas Instruments-built chipset. The company is out of the mobile business and as such isn't in a great position to give the support necessary for continuing OS upgrades -- presumably some of those 1,700 employees let go in the shift away from mobile could have helped. Now we'll have to see if the community can pick up where the corporations left off or if this is the end of the road for the Gnex and its other OMAP-based kin like last year's Kindle Fire HD, Nook HD and Droid Bionic.

Many would call the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus the only true Nexus of its era. Still, Google is willing to treat the CDMA versions as equals, and it just posted factory images with the latest available Jelly Bean builds for those devices. Anyone with a Verizon model can now flash with Android 4.2.2 if their existing OS install ever goes awry; Sprint users aren't quite on an equal plane, but do get a 4.2.1 image to work from. Relevant driver binaries are also available. Whether you're a custom ROM creator looking for a starting point or just want a fallback for any risky experiments, the relevant source links should have what you need.

Verizon's Galaxy Nexus is largely considered to be the (Big) Redheaded stepchild of the Nexus line, lagging behind its purebred bretheren in the update department. But the delays are getting shorter and, as the carrier's just confirmed, users should begin to see Android 4.2.2 rolling out to their handsets as early as today. Initially released back in February, this Jelly Bean update brings with it the ability to snap 360-degree photospheres, various camera UI improvements (i.e., filters and borders), lockscreen widgets and a Swype-like Gesture keyboard. It's set to be released gradually, so don't despair if that OTA update notification takes a few days to make itself known.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

You might say the day is never really done in consumer technology news. Your workday, however, hopefully draws to a close at some point. This is the Daily Roundup on Engadget, a quick peek back at the top headlines for the past 24 hours -- all handpicked by the editors here at the site. Click on through the break, and enjoy.

It's not like we didn't have ample warning, so by now anyone wanting to try out the new Ubuntu smartphone OS should have gotten hold of a Galaxy Nexus to be their test device. Still don't have one? Then you'll be pleased to know that a Nexus 4 will actually serve just as well, and you have six days to get equipped. The Ubuntu Touch Developer Preview will be made public on February 21st alongside the open source code and all the tools necessary to flash those two devices.

The official aim is to help devs and enthusiasts learn the platform and start building software for it, whether for core functions or for when a full third-party app store eventually goes live. The bigger picture is that, by the time Ubuntu 13.10 launches in October, an app written in this platform's Qt/QML lingo should be able to run on any Ubuntu device -- whether it be a PC, TV, tablet or smartphone -- with no porting required. Rest assured that we have a couple of Nexii at the ready and we fully intend to give this newcomer a thorough hazing / write-up as soon as possible.

After a few sightings early in January we hadn't heard much about a new version of Android 4.2, but posters on Reddit and Android Police say 4.2.2 is starting to pop up on several flavors of Nexus hardware. First spotted on a r/Android poster's GSM Galaxy Nexus and later on Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 tablets (as shown above), there are no changes listed other than "performance and stability," however there's hope that this includes promised fixes for Bluetooth A2DP issues. We haven't seen any new software on our devices and there's no official word yet, let us know in the comments if you're seeing anything new on your mobile device.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Our first look at the upcoming Ubuntu phone OS left us excited but wanting for more details, and it seems that Canonical has now indicated when you'll first be able to grab it. According to OMG Ubuntu, engineering manager Alan Pope said that a downloadable image of the upcoming system will be available in late February for the Galaxy Nexus handset. From what we've seen so far, if you're brave enough to grab it you'll be in for a reasonably fluid and hackable experience, although actually doing something with it might be another story, since there's likely to be very few apps available. Still, for tinkerers with the handset who want to give Android a break, it'll be exciting times when a full-fledged Linux distro finally goes small.

There was a certain degree of irony to the first CyanogenMod 10.1 nightly reaching a lone device that already runs Android 4.2. What about the rest of us? Thankfully, logic is getting the upper hand with the arrival of regular test builds for a much wider hardware selection. All versions of the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus 7 and Nexus 10 get their expected turn at the code. However, the mix also includes devices that weren't predestined to receive an official update to the latest instance of Jelly Bean, such as ASUS' Transformer Pad Infinity and Samsung devices ranging from the original Galaxy S through to both Galaxy Tab 2 slates. It's still throwing caution to the wind by running an unfinished version of unofficial firmware, but we're sure CyanogenMod's target audience is comfortable enough with the risks to visit the source link.

Adding to its catalogue of flagship 4G slabs, EE's launched its first Android tablet for its relatively young network. You can read up our thoughts on how the stylus-friendly tablet handled in our review, but the addition of some high-speed data should add another temptation -- if you're willing to pay for it. Prices for the Galaxy Note 10.1 LTE start at £99 upfront with 8GB of monthly data at £36 monthly, or you can pick up the 5GB plan (after an initial payment of £200) at £30.99 per month. Choosing the smaller 3GB option will set you back £250 to start with, followed by 24 rounds of £26.

EE's also has the Nexus 7 for sale, pairing the WiFi-only device with its own MiFi dongle. One-off payments are £30 for both the 8GB and 5GB services, or £50 for the 3GB option. Monthly costs match the Samsung tablet above, and you'll be able pick up either device (alongside that two-year contract) starting today.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!

Thanksgiving is a week away and as exciting as family and good eats may be, there's nothing more appetizing than a good deal. Not too long ago we took a quick peek at Sprint's Black Friday offerings and now it's time to wrap things up. An anonymous source has served up the carrier's remaining post-Turkey Day sales and it appears that the Now Network is having a Samsung blowout. Running November 23rd through 25th, Sprint will be offering the Galaxy Nexus and Galaxy Victory to new and eligible customers for free after a $50 mail-in rebate and two year service agreement. In typical holiday sale fashion, supplies are expected to be limited, so you'll want to plan accordingly in order to cash in on this deal.

Update: Sprint has confirmed these deals and will run the promotions online on Thanksgiving Day.

The growing pains associated with being an early adopter can sometimes be brutal, as Android's latest software bump doesn't appear to jibe too well with one of Google's most popular in-house apps. Prior to the Nexus 4's official release, word of a Google Voice texting bug began to circulate, but was written off as pre-release jitters. However, it appears that the issue is expanding beyond the search giant's newborn smartphone, as owners of the HSPA+ Galaxy Nexus loaded with Android 4.2 (Jelly Bean) are also experiencing crashes when attempting to compose a text message within Google Voice. While the app still works for phone calls, text messages are completely off limits. Hopefully, this issue can be fixed with an app update as opposed to a new Android software version altogether. In the meantime, if you're a heavy Google Voice user with Android 4.2 in your crosshairs, we suggest that you hold fire and wait until Google officially sorts things out.

As Google Play groans under the clicks of early shoppers, Google's apparently got its software sorted too. A new Android 4.2 file for the Galaxy Nexus over at XDA-Developers matches reports we've had from users who have already been gifted the latest version of Jelly Bean over-the-air. Now, this is the 'takju' version, meaning it's meant for GSM devices ordered directly from Google, although the phone meddlers at XDA-Developers already have all the details needed to make the switch to this specific iteration. Sure you've got the right GSM Galaxy Nexus? Then, once you've read all the instructions and warnings from those aforementioned developers, you can pick up the download at the source below.

If you just can't wait for the official Jelly Bean 4.2 update to land on your Galaxy Nexus, you can at least do a pretty good job of faking it. Last week saw the camera and gallery apps from the latest iteration of Google's OS ported to the Nexus, and this week, Twitter user @KillDroidHack has done the honors of releasing another cluster. All Android 4.2 core apps -- such as Gmail, Maps, Calendar and the like -- are now available in APK form, as well as the newest version of Google Wallet. So, if you want the fresh set on your Nexus and have the loading know-how, head over to the Dev-Host links below to find the files you need.

The back and forth continues. US International Trade Commission Administrative Law Judge Thomas Pender has made an initial ruling that some Samsung's devices violate four Apple patents, including one iPhone design patent (the one you see above) and three software patents. Apple didn't manage a clean sweep, as Samsung was cleared of treading on two more patents, but the verdict still carries the all-too-familiar potential for a trade ban if the ITC maintains the findings in its final review. It's bleak news for the Korean company, which faced an initial loss to Apple at the ITC just last month -- even though large swaths of the mostly Android-based Galaxy phones and tablets in the dispute have long since left the market, an upheld verdict gives Samsung one less bargaining chip in a protracted legal war.

If you didn't get enough in mobile news during the week, not to worry, because we've opened the firehose for the truly hardcore. This past week, we received further evidence of an imminent replacement for the Galaxy Nexus and the Optimus 4X HD found a new home in Canada. These stories and more await after the break. So buy the ticket and take the ride as we explore the "best of the rest" for this week of October 15th, 2012.

Shopping for a smartphone can be an exciting and arduous experience. Along with the promise of something new and fantastic, it brings the fear of commitment, and even worse, the prospect of saddling yourself to a lousy device for two years. Fortunately for you, Engadget spends tons of time playing with the latest gear and we're constantly on the lookout for what's coming next. If you're wanting to take the pain out of shopping for a smartphone, you've come to the right place. Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to Engadget's smartphone buyer's guide: your one-stop resource to finding the best and most exciting handsets on the market today.

Before you dive in, however, we've introduced a few changes to the buyer's guide, so take a minute to prepare yourself for what's in store. First and foremost, you'll now find alternate selections to supplement our top picks. This should already be familiar to many of you, which is the same format we use for our seasonal gift guides. The next one is a biggie: we've dropped the QWERTY selection. By and large, manufacturers and carriers alike have shifted their focus away from keyboard-equipped smartphones, and you'll rarely find more than one option on any given carrier. That said, if you still insist on the tactile experience, you'll always find everything you need to know in our reviews. Finally, whenever possible, you'll now find prices from Amazon Wireless, which allows us to provide you with more compelling budget selections and highlight the substantial savings that you can score by circumventing the carriers. It's not like they need your charity, anyway.

If you're curious to see how it all unfolded -- and we know you are -- join us after the break, where we round up the very best smartphones of the season.

When Android 4.1.2 hit the airwaves for upgrades, it was limited to a very exclusive club of Nexus 7 owners. Google has widened the gates considerably as of today: we're receiving multiple reports of GSM-based Galaxy Nexus and Nexus S owners getting the new Jelly Bean build through official, over-the-air channels. Upgrades here aren't as noticeable as they are on the reference Android tablet; besides fixes, we've mostly heard that it's now possible to expand a notification with a single finger. Those with CDMA-based phones are left out so far, but if you discover any surprise extras before 4.1.2 hits our own devices, be sure to leave us a tip.

Your smartphone and / or tablet is just begging for an update. From time to time, these mobile devices are blessed with maintenance refreshes, bug fixes, custom ROMs and anything in between, and so many of them are floating around that it's easy for a sizable chunk to get lost in the mix. To make sure they don't escape without notice, we've gathered every possible update, hack, and other miscellaneous tomfoolery we could find during the last week and crammed them into one convenient roundup. If you find something available for your device, please give us a shout at tips at engadget dawt com and let us know. Enjoy!